U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin speak to the media during a joint press conference after their private meeting on July 16, 2018 in Helsinki, Finland. (Photo by Chris McGrath/Getty Images)

The Russian embassy has released a statement on the White House’s retaliatory sanctions for what intelligence communities believe was Russia’s use of chemical weapons against former Russian spy Sergei Skripal and his daughter earlier this year.

Skripal, who acted as a double agent for UK intelligence agencies in the 1990’s, was found slumped on a bench with his daughter, Yulia Skripal, in Salisbury, England this past March. The two were in critical condition after being attacked with the nerve agent novichok, which was developed in Russia between the 1970’s and 1990’s. The sanctions will limit exports of goods and technology to the country, while broader sanctions could come in about three months.

The Russian embassy has continued to deny any involvement:

#Embassy_Statement US sanctions assembly line increases its production output. On August 8, 2018 our Deputy Chief of…

The White House’s position falls in line with that of British detectives and government officials who have determined that the perpetrators were most likely Russian agents. One UK official close to the investigation said:

Investigators believe they have identified the suspected perpetrators of the novichok attack through CCTV and have cross-checked this with records of people who entered the country around that time. They are sure [the suspects] are Russian.

CNN Chief National Security Correspondent Jim Sciutto pointed out that the White House’s sanctions are mandated under a 1991 law and that, if anything the sanctions came too late.

To be clear on today's Trump admin sanctions on #Russia for #Skripal poisoning:– They are mandated under the 1991 Chemical & Biological Weapons Control & Warfare Elimination Act for chemical weapons use. – WH blew past the law's 60-day deadline by a month.1/

He also warned that harsher sanctions could still be coming if Russia doesn’t comply with demands to cease the use of chemical weapons.

2/The law mandates a second, more Draconian round of sanctions unless:-Russia assures the US it is no longer using chemical or biological weapons-Russia allows onsite inspectors to ensure the government is not using chem/bio weapons